Print.IT Reseller - issue 61

to accidental actions of employees, not printer hacks. These ‘accidental actions’ are usually related to employees finding confidential documents unattended in output trays of printers in open shared workspaces. “Accidental actions are easily avoided with secure print management solutions which restrict access to confidential documents. Organisations should consult with experts in vendor-neutral secure print solutions to secure the on-ramp and off-ramp of digital and paper documents in the workplace.” Jason Cort, Director of Product Planning and Marketing, Sharp Europe : “Some organisations don’t understand all of the risks associated with printer security, which means many aren’t taking the issue as seriously as they should. This is often the case in small and medium sized businesses, as most don’t have a dedicated IT department to focus on security. Even when they do, printers are probably low down on their list of priorities. However, organisations need to be aware that the printers sitting in their office are as vulnerable to an attack by hackers as any other networked device. In fact, 60 per cent of businesses were breached last year as a result of security flaws in print devices, according to Quocirca’s Global Print Security 2019 report. “Additionally, it’s not only the digital security of a device that organisations need to pay attention to. The report shows that while 70 per cent of businesses said they are most worried about malware infecting print devices, the majority of breaches (32 per cent) are actually the result of human error. This reflects the findings of Sharp’s own research and further highlights just how vulnerable printers can be to security breaches – particularly if sensitive information is printed and left on the side for anyone to see. Even if overall network security is strong, it’s often humans that are the weakest link, so educating employees about data and device security is key.” James Turner, Regional Manager, Y Soft : “Print is considered a top security risk second only to cloud-based services and spend on print security is increasing now comprising 11 per cent of total IT security spending (Quocirca). “This increased spending points to an awareness of the risks, which has mostly come about due to the frequent number of data breaches related to print. However, the highest reported factor actually originates internally, from accidental actions of internal users, meaning there is still a lack of understanding of where exactly the risk factors are. Having stronger authentication, secure document workflows and the best print management solution in place that utilises encryption will help alleviate this risk factor. Additionally, having a strong understanding of the risks will enable organisations to work better with print services suppliers and print solutions to ensure that they are working collaboratively together to ensure that the most up to date security protocols are in use and are constantly reviewed. “While it is clear organisations are becoming savvier about enterprise security, there is still clearly some way to go and printer security should be taken more seriously.” Tony Lomax, Product and Enterprise Marketing Manager UK and Ireland, Lexmark : “We’re aware that unsecure printer networks can pose a risk if left unaddressed. We’ve seen in previous VOX POP 01732 759725 42 Even if overall network security is strong, it’s often humans that are the weakest link, so educating employees about data and device security is key. Accidental actions are easily avoided with secure print management solutions which restrict access to confidential documents. Eric Crump ...continued